A glowing, celestial sphere exploded into light and Professor Stephen Hawking told an audience of millions to “look to the stars” in an opening ceremony which served notice that these Games would be no poor relation to the Olympics.

This celebration of human spirit and triumph over the most fearsome adversity was every bit as dazzling and joyous as the opening ceremony four weeks back.

Genius physicist Hawking, who has written extensively about the Big Bang creation of the universe, narrated the three-hour spectacle to a packed house in the Olympic Stadium and millions watching on television around the world.

Amputee Afghan war veteran Joe Townsend flew in on a zipwire to light the flame.

And six Paralympians and former competitors – including wheelchair racing legend Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson – were flown into the stadium in gold wheelchairs.

Former Paralympic athlete, Tanni Grey-Thompson, is lifted into the air

Hawking, who has continued his work despite suffering from motor neurone disease, said: “The Paralympic Games is about transforming our perception of the world. We are all different. There is no such thing as a standard or run-of-the-mill human being but we share the same human spirit.

“What is important is that we have the ability to create.

“This creativity can take many forms, from physical achievement to theoretical physics. However difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at.”

With his distinctive computerised voice booming around the stadium, he added: “We live in a universe governed by rational laws that we can discover and understand.

“Look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see and wonder what makes the,universe exist. Be curious.

“There ought to be something very special about the boundary conditions of the universe, and what can be more special than there is no boundary?

“And there should be no boundary to human endeavour. So let us together celebrate excellence, friendship and respect. Good luck to you all.”

After Danny Boyle’s well-received but off-the-wall Olympic opening, the Paralympics was certain to offer something different.

A sphere descends into the stadium

The kaleidescopic musical feast served up by Billy Elliot director Stephen Daldry wasn’t on the same quite colossal scale.

But with a cast of around 3500, including all 3250 Gamesmaker volunteers, it was still one of the biggest productions ever put together in Britain.

It again featured both the old and the new, mixing in a bit of Shakespeare with modern dance and the baffling physics of the creation of time.

Organisers made huge umbrellas a central part of last night’s performance and rain duly hit London in the afternoon.

The ceremony had parts for 600 performers and a choir was formed by 430 singers, who had the crowd rocking in the aisles.

Umbrellas featured in the opening ceremony

Like the Olympics opening ceremony, this extravaganza borrowed from Shakespeare’s The Tempest.

The play’s heroine Miranda became the central character of the ceremony, encouraging everyone watching to look at the world with a sense of wonder and curiosity.

A glowing sphere descended into the giant central umbrella, surrounded by hundreds of performers, all carrying a brolly that lit up and radiated from the centre.

Fireworks exploded in a starry burst that led viewers to a screen transporting them to deep space.

Miranda’s eyes then became the viewers’ eyes as the cast reformed to make a powerful single eye staring out of the stadium.

The Queen entered as nine servicemen and women were introduced, holding Union Flags.

Her Majesty insisted on taking up her part at the Paralympics in person – following up on her star turn in the James Bond Olympics skit – despite the unwell Prince Philip being unable to be by her side.

Other stellar appearances included Sir Ian McKellen – most widely renowned for his Gandalf role in The Lord of the Rings –who played The Tempest’s Prospero.

But the major part of the event was the introduction of the Paralympians, dubbed “The Superhumans” in an inspirational Channel 4 advertising campaign.

Teams from 166 nations, the largest number in the history of the Paralympics, arrived in the stadium in alphabetical order, except for the Team UK athletes who came in last.

There were few superstars among the cast of 4200 sporting gladiators but the thunderous applause from the spectators suggested otherwise. The entrance of the athletes had a strikingly contemporary and trendy feel, with a mash-up of dance music created by three local DJs.

Because the UK is the birthplace of the Paralympics, the organisers dedicated an eight minute section to the theme of homecoming.

The Queen declared the Games officially open after rousing speeches by Olympic Games organising committee chairman Sebastian Coe and Sir Phillip Craven, president of the International Paralympic Committee.

The monarch told the crowd: “The Games are returning to the country where they first began, more than 60 years ago.

“The athletes’ endeavours and triumphs will excite and inspire people wherever they live.”

Then Miranda continued to lead the audience on a journey including a reading of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, an aerial ballet and an encounter with Sir Isaac Newton.

And the crowd were once more thrilled by world-class pyrotechnics as the cauldron was lit.

The party was brought to a triumphant finale when soul singer Beverley Knight – joined by the crowd – belted out the inspirational I Am What I Am, from the musical La Cage Aux Folles.

Organisers described the show, entitled Enlightenment, as “profoundly about science and humanity”.

It was also about fun and celebration.

Great Britain's Paralympic Team flagbearer Peter Norfolk leads his team out

And it was about showing once more just how to make the most of a world stage.

These Games will make any Paralympics that came before look like a school sports day – and allow the competitors to share the limelight equally with their Olympic counterparts.